Meet our PhD students
The Open Innovation Hub for Antimicrobial Surfaces is a dynamic multi-disciplinary research centre, performing research across the fields of chemistry, physics and biology. This is reflected in the wide variety of research being performed by our PhD students.
Abigail Johnson
Abigail's PhD research focusses on the synthesis and the mechanistic study of novel antimicrobial coatings on glass surfaces. The project is within the Open Innovation Hub for Antimicrobial Surfaces and is also in collaboration with NSG Pilkington. Her work involves modification of the coating formulation and application conditions, alongside extensive characterisation and microbial evaluation, to guide the development of more effective antimicrobial coatings on glass.
Andrei Barbulescu
Andrei has a keen interest in antimicrobial resistance and its impact on human health. Driven by an appreciation of scientific disciplines beyond biology, Andrei was drawn to explore the intersection of biology and chemistry and pursued a PhD in Chemistry to investigate the antimicrobial activity of different shapes of Zinc Oxide nanoparticles. Andrei’s research focuses on exploring the potential of these nanoparticles to be applied as coatings to combat microbial growth and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Andrei is a highly dedicated researcher who is passionate about utilising scientific research to contribute to the betterment of society.
Jack Martin
Jack is a PhD student in the Open Innovation Hub for Antimicrobial Surfaces with a keen interest in antimicrobial research. His research aims to synthesise biomimetic surfaces and characterise the fundamental microbial cell interactions and events that control the attachment and adhesion on these surfaces.
Daniel Smaje
Dan is a PhD student researching Salmonella biofilms using metabolomics. His research employs vibrational spectroscopy imaging techniques and stable isotope probing to investigate biofilm metabolic dynamics and responses to stress.
Calum Skelly
Calum’s PhD project is a collaboration between the University of Liverpool and Unilever to create oral biofilm models and evaluate novel oral antimicrobial solutions. To achieve this, the project aims to use advanced characterisation techniques such as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Raman Spectroscopy and more.
Alexandria Hands
Alexandria’s PhD project is a collaboration between the University of Liverpool and Unilever to understand the action of personal care products on skin at the localised chemical level. This project aims to expand knowledge in the field by utilising advanced fabrication to mimic biological systems and then deploying sophisticated techniques to understand the action of anti-perspirants with high chemical and spatial resolution.
Olivia Flynn
Olivia is a PhD student researching the computational modelling of nano-bio interfaces. Her research focuses on the use of density functional theory and molecular modelling simulations to gain insight into molecule/surface interactions and self-assembly processes.
Beatrice Clark
Beatrice's PhD project is a collaboration between the University of Liverpool and Symcel to investigate early biofilm formation events in dual-species communities from the single cell level upwards, using fluorescence microscopy, biocalorimetry and spectroscopy. The project will focus on key pathogens, which are problematic in the hospitals and particularly in chronic wounds. It aims to uncover the complexities of early biofilm formation under different conditions, which will in turn help create a blueprint for understanding how later behavioural patterns could be influenced by these early formation events.
Caitlin Gould
Caitlin's PhD project is a collaboration between the University of Liverpool and Bruker Ltd aiming to achieve in depth understanding of microbe-surface interactions and attachment using multimodal advanced imaging and spectroscopic techniques that will deliver insights into how biological systems interact and adapt to man-made technologies.